This invention lies in the field of the flare burning of waste gases.
More particularly this invention lies in the field of air powered flare stacks.
Still more particularly this invention lies in the field of steam driven blowers or fans to provide primary air under pressure, for the combustion of gases at a burner at the top of the flare stack, plus the step of injecting the exhaust steam either into the rising column of combustion air upstream from the burner, or injecting it into the flame downstream from the burner, to chemically facilitate the complete and smokeless combustion.
In the prior art, it has been customary to design at least two basic types of flares for the smokeless combustion of waste gases. One type which is well known in the arts makes use of significant quantities of expensive "live" steam in various manners for inspiration of air; for supply of turbulence and addition of water-hydrocarbon chemistry to the burning of emergency flare-vented hydrocarbon gases so as to provide smoke-free burning. Another common type is the air powered flare in which primary combustion air is compressed by means of blowers or fans so that it has sufficient kinetic energy with the energy of the gas, to turbulently mix with the gas issuing from the burner to provide conditions for complete and smokeless combustion.
In the prior art of air driven flares, the blowers or fans are generally driven electrically, primarily because of the simplicity and convenience. However, even with air driven flares it is sometimes necessary to inject steam into the flame in order to provide complete and smokeless combustion. This stand-by demand for significant quantities of steam for use in smoke suppression as emergency vented hydrocarbons are flare burned, for safety in the operation of petroleum refineries, and petrochemical, and chemical plants, is a source of energy waste as well as a notable financial burden.
It is therefore a primary objective of this invention to provide a more efficient system whereby the power to drive the air compressing means is operated by a steam turbine, and the exhaust steam from the turbine is used to improve the combustion of the waste gases.
It is a further object of this invention not only to use the steam for driving the compressing means for the primary combustion air, but also to utilize the exhaust steam and condensate to be either mixed with the primary combustion air upstream of the burner, or to be injected into the flame downstream of the burner, so as to chemically promote more complete and smokeless combustion.